Wednesday, October 18, 2006

2006 Attendance Higher at Nonprofit’s Annual Northern California Event Honoring U.S. Combat Dead


The event this year included a military-vehicle show by MVCC.





It also included a swap meet being set up here.

NOTE: You can also see our press release at PRWeb, which includes some PDF files and could have different photos, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb451897.htm.

2006 Attendance Higher at Nonprofit’s Annual Northern California Event Honoring U.S. Combat Dead


Family Friendly and Patriotic




Some of the attendees at the event at J&S Surplus & Outdoor Store



Labor Day Weekend 2006 Monterey Bay Area memorial for U.S. killed in action (KIA) had higher participation than last year.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 19, 2006 – The USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation (USAKIA) held its second annual event in Moss Landing on September 2, 2006. The memorial paid tribute to all U.S. killed in action (KIA) and died of wounds (DOW), with many more participants this year than last year. This year, the event also honored U.S. citizens killed in acts of terror and public safety personnel, as well as military personnel who died in the line of duty. 2006’s event also included a military-vehicle show put on by Military Vehicle Collectors of California (MVCC) and a swap meet. Congressman Farr’s office and the California National Guard also participated. Preliminary estimates of attendance were about 300 for the midday ceremony, probably more than double last year’s participation.



Big Rain

Big Rain played live for much of the day, with speakers and patriotic music during the memorial beginning at noon. USAKIA president Vincent Bartning spoke after a blessing by Chaplain Joy Joy Jeannette. Joy, also the president of the California chapter of Rolling Thunder, also participated. Keynote speaker was Mrs. Pat Wiscowiche, mother of Marine Lcpl. William "Willie" Wiscowiche, KIA April 30, 2004, in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. Congressman Farr’s office also sent a speaker and presented a certificate to sponsors for special congressional recognition. Ms. Gabby Cribland again did a fine rendition of The Star Spangled Banner as the flag raising portion of the ceremony began at 1PM. USAKIA also presented certificates of appreciation to participants, including Rolling Thunder and the California National Guard.


Alec Arago from Congressman Sam Farr's Office


SGT Acosta recruited and donated a flag seen here.


USAKIA Officers Dennis and Janice Malloy


USAKIA Flag Officer, James Ortolani, Far Right, Speaks with California National Guard Members.

The nonprofit also began two raffles on July 15 to help raise funds, with one ending at the end of the Labor Day Weekend event; the other will end Veterans Day, November 11. USAKIA also accepts tax-deductible donations, including, vehicles. See its Web site at www.usakia.org. The USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation’s mailing address is P.O. Box 720123, San Jose, CA 95172. For vehicle donations, call CARS toll free at 1-877-537-5277, and mention USAKIA.


Bike with KIA Flag


Other Flag-Draped Bikes


L-R, SPC Narciso, SPC Mead, & SSG Caldwell of the California National Guard






The U.S. Flag Is Raised.






Ms. Gabby Cribland Sings the National Anthem.

About the USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation:

The USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation (USAKIA), based in San Jose, California, is an IRS-approved, tax-deductible and tax-exempt nonprofit. KIA families incorporated the 501(c)(3) organization in the fall of 2003 to benefit families of those killed in action and died of wounds while in the U.S. armed forces. Current services include memorials, membership, and it had planned a new California Medal of Honor Project (CAMOHP).

USAKIA also has products honoring U.S. KIA. America Remembers KIA allows USAKIA the use of its trademarked KIA flag and symbol. See the organization's Web site at www.usakia.org for further information.

###

Contact Information:

Dennis Malloy
USA KIA/DOW FAMILY FOUNDATION
http://www.usakia.org
(408) 954-8280
CR@usakia.org

USAKIA's Vincent Bartning hands out certificates of appreciation:


Joy Jeanette of Rolling Thunder receives her Certificate of Appreciation.


Jim Gilbertson of J&S Surplus & Outdoor Store, a Division of Eagle Emblems, Inc., receives his Certificate of Appreciation.


L-R, Joe Wiscowiche, Alec Arago, Jim Gilbertson, Pat Wiscowiche, and Vincent Bartning presenting Alec Arago from Congressman Farr's Office and Gold Star Mother Pat Wiscowiche USAKIA certificates of appreciation.

ABCNEWS.com: U.S. October Death Toll in Iraq Hits 69

You have received this ABCNEWS.com mail from:

usakiadowff@aol.com

October has a high death toll. 10 U.S. KIA on Tuesday.

U.S. October Death Toll in Iraq Hits 69
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2582336

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Yahoo! News Story - SEAL falls on grenade to save comrades - Yahoo! News


USAKIA (usakiadowff@aol.com) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:

Navy SEAL gives his life to save his buddies. He's only the second Navy SEAL to be KIA in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

SEAL falls on grenade to save comrades - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061014/ap_on_re_us/navy_seal_killed

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

Friday, October 13, 2006

Fwd: Illinois Town Struggles With Deaths of High School Pals

See Entire Article at:

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/illinois-town-struggles-with-deaths-of/20061013104209990001

Illinois Town Struggles With Deaths of High School Pal
Soldiers Killed in Iraq Within Two Days of One Another

USATODAY.com
By Oren Dorell, USA TODAY

CREVE COEUR, Ill. (Oct. 13) — Kristofer Walker and George Obourn Jr., both 20, were almost inseparable.

As high school students, their friendship revolved around marching band, playing video games together and eating at Monical's Pizza, up the street from East Peoria High School.

Together they acted on their dream of joining the Army as Cavalry Scouts, wanting to do their part after Sept. 11. Out of school they entered a "buddy" system that would keep them together or a year through basic training. In Iraq they served in the same squadron.

Their lives together ended on Oct. 2, when Walker was killed after his Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Taji, near Baghdad. Two days later, Obourn followed his friend, killed while clearing a building of insurgents in the same town...

See Entire Article at:

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/illinois-town-struggles-with-deaths-of/20061013104209990001

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Series of Roane County events to honor war veterans

October 9, 2006

Knoxville News Sentinel

Article includes schedule for dedication ceremony on Saturday, October 14. It also has much more information about the new memorial and events there. See Entire Article at:

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5052723,00.html

Series of Roane County events to honor war veterans

Memorial dedication, Vietnam Wall part of five-day celebration

By FRED BROWN, brownf@knews.com
October 9, 2006

Col. Terry M. "Max" Haston, deputy chief of staff for training and operations for the Tennessee Joint Forces Command in Nashville, will address the dedication ceremony Saturday for the Roane County Veterans Plaza and War Memorial in Harriman.

Haston's speech is part of a series of events planned in Roane County Wednesday-Sunday to dedicate East Tennessee's latest memorial to veterans.

Haston, a native of McMinnville who now lives in Knoxville, said he plans to honor the veterans "who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and made it possible for us to do what we do..."

...The park is the location of Roane County's newest addition, the Roane County Veterans Plaza and War Memorial, scheduled to be dedicated at 1 p.m. Saturday. Daily services will be held in the park from Thursday through Sunday.

The new Veterans Plaza features a flag court, decorative water fountain and a military statue war memorial.

A formal metal plaque is part of a permanent display. The plaque lists all military personnel killed in action from Roane County since World War I. In addition, a separate plaque honors all veterans.

Also on display next to the Vietnam Wall will be the Cost of Freedom Memorial Tribute, added since Sept. 11, 2001.

Daily services include posting the colors at 2 p.m. and retiring the colors at 5 p.m.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of POW-MIAs and a gold wreath for the Gold Star Mothers is scheduled.

Friday's services include a candlelight service after the flag-lowering ceremony.

Saturday is the big dedication day...

Article includes schedule for dedication ceremony on Saturday, October 14. It also has much more information about the new memorial and events there. See Entire Article at:

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5052723,00.html

Monday, October 09, 2006

Fwd: Missing WWII Airmen is Identified

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 1007-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 09, 2006
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Missing WWII Airmen is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is 1st Lt. Shannon E. Estill, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He will be buried on October 10 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On April 13, 1945, Estill's P-38J Lightning was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire while attacking targets in eastern Germany. Another U.S. pilot reported seeing Estill's aircraft explode and crash. Because the location of the crash site was within the Russian-controlled sector of occupied Germany, U.S. military personnel could not recover Estill's remains after the war.

In 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated a crash site near the town of Elsnig in eastern Germany. The site had been reported by two German nationals whose hobby is finding the location of World War II crash sites. They also claimed to have found remains at the site, which they turned over to U.S. Army officials. The team surveyed the site and interviewed two more men who witnessed the crash as children.
In 2005, another JPAC team excavated the crash site and recovered additional human remains as well as P-38 wreckage. Included in the recovered wreckage was an aircraft data plate from Estill's plane.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains, matching DNA sequences from a maternal relative.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site athttp://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.



[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10056]

<snip>

Friday, October 06, 2006

The Columbian: Handful of Army soldiers over 50 killed

See Entire Article:

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/09302006news63801.cfm
Handful of Army soldiers over 50 killed

Saturday, September 30, 2006
By TOM VOGT, Columbian staff writer

Army Reserve Master Sgt. Robb Needham is one of a very small group of senior soldiers killed by the enemy during the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 51-year-old soldier died Sept. 20 in Baghdad. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Needham died from injuries suffered when his patrol came under small-arms fire during combat operations.

According to Web reports, the Vancouver grandfather is one of only eight U.S. service members 50 and older to die as a result of enemy action in Operation Iraqi Freedom or in Operation Enduring Freedom, the anti-terrorism war outside of Iraq...

See Entire Article:

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/09302006news63801.cfm

Monday, October 02, 2006

Fwd: Korean War vets finally saluted

See Entire Article at:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/15650364.htm?source=rss&channel=kansascity_local

Korean War KIA Honored at Memorial:

Posted on Sun, Oct. 01, 2006

Korean War vets finally saluted

A memorial is dedicated in Overland Park to the 415 Kansans who died.

By ROBERT A. CRONKLETON
The Kansas City Star

More than 50 years have passed since the Korean War, but veteran Rudy Green felt proud that a new memorial finally recognized those who served in the war.

“It’s never too late,” said Green, of Leawood, who served as an Army sergeant in the war...

See Entire Article at:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/15650364.htm?source=rss&channel=kansascity_local